Revisiting Transactional Distance Theory in a Context of Web- Based High-School Distance Education

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study that considered Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) in a current technology context of web-based distance education (DE) in a high school environment. Data collection relied on semistructured interviews conducted with 13 e-teachers and seven other personnel within an organization responsible for high-school distance education in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Findings are presented in three categories labelled as follows: rapport and community-building; curriculum and teachercentered tools as barriers; and the role of real-time interaction and engagement. We relate these categories respectively to the TDT concepts of dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy.